The Veteran's thoracic spine disability was rated at 10 percent prior to February 21, 2018 and at 20 percent thereafter. The cervical spine disability was granted a 20 percent rating.,Radiculopathy of the right upper extremity received a 40 percent rating from September 19, 2023, while radiculopathy of the left upper extremity received a 30 percent rating from that date.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's thoracic spine disability did not meet criteria for higher ratings due to limited range of motion and no ankylosis. The cervical spine disability met criteria for a 20 percent rating.,Radiculopathy in the right upper extremity received a 40 percent rating from September 19, 2023, based on moderate incomplete paralysis; radiculopathy in the left upper extremity received a 30 percent rating from that date.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracic Spine Disability, Cervical Spine Disability, Radiculopathy of the Right Upper Extremity, Radiculopathy of the Left Upper Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23068159
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 23068159.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, right knee strain (painful motion), and right knee instability are now rated at 30 percent effective August 16, 2017.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for TMD, cervical spine disability, and FSAD have been denied.,An earlier effective date prior to August 2, 2022, for the award of service connection for these conditions has also been denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claims for erectile dysfunction and voiding dysfunction have been denied due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to his in-service exposure.,The remaining service connection claims (for bilateral feet, ankles, hip, wrist, cervical spine, upper extremity radiculopathy, psychiatric disorder, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension) are remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate examinations. The Veteran is required to undergo new VA examinations to assess her current and retrospective severity of these disabilities.
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